In Parliament After Hours: Tonks and Company in Muggle London...I will never fucking learn, Tonks told herself as she steered her newest Champion east on the flight down the river. Never eat sodding onion rings before a flyover. I've known since first year at Hogwarts that they go right through me. And good fucking British luck finding a WC open at this time of night! She gritted her teeth and tried by sheer force of will to keep her bowels in check. Mind over matter, or some such. Not exactly the most pleasant flyover she'd ever done, even allowing for the oppressive chill in the air.

Disillusioned, Tonks was joined on this trip by Hestia Jones and her squadron of Junior Aurors. They were on night-shift flyovers and inside inspections of Muggle government buildings in London, including Parliament and the High Court. The Prime Minister was vaguely aware of these infiltrations, having received a memo by owl post from Minister McGonagall some five months before; whether he remembered anything of it or not was questionable. Death-Eaters were said to be infiltrating the British government through blending into Muggle political circles and being appointed to posts as high-ranking as possible. The same thing was rumoured to be occurring in the United States government as well, the British and European baddies likely assuming that the current U.S. President wouldn't know a "Death-Eater" from Darth Vader. Death-Eaters gravitated toward centers of power like moths to a street lamp; and since the death of Lord Voldemort and subsequent fall of Bellatrix Black Lestrange (my Auntie Bella, would-be Dark Lady of Wizarding Britain, as Jovana once called her; well, so much for the Madwoman in the Manor...), they'd been left without a firm candidate for designated leader. Now, apparently swallowing their Muggle-hating pride, they were attempting to expand their influence into Muggle Europe through assimilation and infiltration into government ministries in that world.

And so Tonks, Hestia, Corvus Sawney, Jeri Khan-Creevey, Marcelene Thomas and Nathan Todd had been sent out with magical night-vision and sensing equipment geared for Dark Energy and Magical Signatures, on night-time flyovers identical to the ones they'd undertaken while Bellatrix had been still at large. An Auror's work is never done, even when the latest Dark-Powered threat seems to have been overcome.

The gothic spires of Parliament were coming up immediately on their right. First order of business: Tonks to apparate into a loo before something nasty had to be Scourgified.

Tonks wondered how Jovana and her lot were doing with their flyovers in Muggle Washington on the Night Ship. She hoped for their sakes that the old craft had a loo on board.

The flyover team apparated into the Parliament's central lobby where, thankfully, a ladies' toilet was nearby for Tonks to unlock and take care of her unfortunate reaction to onion rings. Then it was off to inspect the red-benched House of Lords chamber, all of them still Disillusioned and silent, as there were bound to be guards in and out all night.

The Aurors cruised and hovered on their brooms just above the benches to avoid detection of footfalls. The Scrutinisers of Government had far nicer benches than the plain green ones in the Commons chamber; several of the Aurors couldn't resist dropping down into a few of them. But they were there to check for Death-Eaters' magical signatures in the Chambers, not to lounge on the benches and Throne that looked as if they'd belonged in Godric Gryffindor's banquet hall.

The metaspectral sensing equipment wasn't picking up anything here; Jeri pounced on something her photonegative goggles homed in on under a bench, but it turned out to be somebody's digital notebook left behind. The special Pellucidus diagnostic spell with their wands likewise failed to pick up residual signatures here either, as did Tonks' photonegative glasses.

It appeared that no Death-Eaters had mixed with Scrutinisers or revisers of legislation in the past forty-five days. Hestia gave her wand signal to move on to the Commons chamber, where the actual legislating tended to happen. Perhaps things were powerful (and loud) enough in there for blokes like Rookwood and Dolohov to peddle influence incognito.

A janitorial team were still in the Commons chamber. No guards were to be seen, but the Disillusioned team of Aurors needed to slip through the one open door single-file nonetheless, remount their brooms, and hover across the ceiling until the Muggle cleaning blokes (two of the three, thankfully, had their ears glued to portable mp3 players) cleared out with their vacuums and such.

Now down the rows of green benches, wands set to Pellucidus settings, Tonks with her old charmed Muggle goggles, Marcelene with her bonafide Russian version. They'd been joking earlier about whether Death-Eaters would run for Labour or Conservative seats, and where they might stand on immigration questions. The American witches and wizards Moody and Hermione had corresponded with had made a point of saying that Death-Eaters wouldn't be out of place among the ex-Klansmen and former Dixiecrats that had gotten themselves elected to the Muggle U.S. Congress.

Something, invisible arms reached out of the blue, grabbed Tonks and pulled her off her Disillusioned broom faster than she could yell out a warning. Nathan and Jeri were similarly caught and wrenched off their brooms. Hearing their cries, the others dropped their concealment and rushed to the aid of their colleagues, wands drawn defensively. "Infra-red! Show yourselves!" Hestia cried to the invisible assailants, swooping to the front of the chamber, directly in front of Tonks' prone form on the carpet.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" came a voice from a now-shimmering Disillusioned figure, followed by some nervous chuckles, as Remus Lupin, his own broom in hand, dropped his disguise and appeared standing over Nathan. This appearance was quickly followed by that of Draco Malfoy, investigator with Magical Law Enforcement, standing close beside Jeri's crouching form; and Severus Snape, standing directly behind Tonks (who was practically sprawled across his feet), arms crossed, his trademark smirk broader than usual.

"Miss Jones", Snape drawled at Hestia, "I fear your squadron here could do with some remedial tracking exercises. They can't seem to see the trees for the ferns." He reached a hand down to help Tonks to her feet, after she attempted to spin around on her arse to face him, succeeding only in assuming an even more comical sprawl.

"What in fucking Hades!" cried Hestia, jumping from her broom after nearly dropping her wand.

"Sorry about this, friends", Draco began, a grin on his face wavering between smug and sheepish. "Perhaps we should have remained visible when we apparated in here, but the cleaners were still about; and besides, Severus and Remus here couldn't resist the chance to see my cousin a trifle gobsmacked--" He smirked over at Tonks, who answered him with a frustrated glare.

"My apologies also, Tonks", Remus cut in. "The real reason we've waylaid you all is that we do, in fact, have some serious and important information to impart to you which should be integral to your investigations down here. I think, however, we should find an enclosed office to slip into to discuss this at length."

"I believe there should be several of those on the next floor up", Snape added, "If you will all be so kind as to interrupt your flyovers--which we three have interrupted anyway--and accompany us upstairs." As the group began to follow Lupin out of the chamber, Snape grasped Tonks by both shoulders and muttered in her ear, "And before you leave tonight, Miss Tonks, there is a small matter which I would like to discuss with you privately."

Charmed, I'm sure, Tonks thought with a grunt. She replied only with one cocked eyebrow, cheekily changed to black for added effect, before apparating upstairs after the others. Snape merely snorted, and followed suit.

"I hope you all won't mind", Remus began, once the squadron, with Snape and Tonks bringing up the rear, had entered a windowless conference chamber in the rear wing of the building, "But we three decided, quite recently in fact, to slip you a shortcut to your quest." He grinned across at Draco, who stood with his arms folded at the far end of the ovular table. "So, which of us will deliver the ominous news, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Oh, you can provide the details", Draco replied dispassionately. "But why don't you let me deliver the abstract version: namely, our Auror friends here are seeking Death-Eaters in the wrong branch of government. We have it on good authority that the bulk of them have infiltrated the Muggle military, intelligence and what the Americans now call 'Homeland Security'.

"Oh", mumbled Tonks. "So, cousin Draco, what you're saying is that you lot risked life and limb this evening just to put us on the right track?"

"Mmmm...yes, that's the basic idea", Draco replied, in a dead-on imitation of Tonks' mumbling. "Remus, why don't you continue with the longer version?"

"Well, before I do that", Remus suggested, "Perhaps Severus would like to tell his version of events to begin with. After all, he got the first news, on an Irish MagiVid, no less." He directed attention to Snape, who stood nearest the door, one loose fist over his mouth.

"Oh, this sort of thing always seems to happen when I go seeking diversions from work life", Snape drawled from his spot, slouching somewhat uncharacteristically against the wall with his legs crossed under his robes. "Let this be a lesson to me not to go on family holidays in Ireland during a school term. Such vacations have a way of being rudely interrupted in unlikely places."

He walked around the conference table and sank into a chair facing Tonks and Jeri. "As per your recommendations, Miss Tonks, I decided to go to Ireland in search of more of Dame Kyteler's firewater; and I decided to bring my husband and stepson with me, for a week or so. All was going well when, three days into the trip, we stopped for a salmon dinner in a Magical area of Galway. Gilliam insisted that we sit near a MagiVid screen by the bar; that was our first mistake. The second mistake consisted of me listening a little too carefully to the news broadcast on the same device." He sighed deeply, and looked around the table, as if hoping to find a bottle of firewhiskey and glasses on hand. "I started listening in the middle of the commentary; but there were a great many details being discussed of Death-Eater infiltrations into high-ranking military and security posts, and sightings of these people right in the thick of things in muggle Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It is suspected that they have access to plenty of highly confidential plans, tactics, reports and agendas; hence, combined with their knowledge of Dark Magic--in varying skill levels, of course--they have plenty to offer one side, the other, the bad sort and the worse sort." He crossed his arms, his eyes scanning the faces of the now-silent Aurors.

"Given that the Magical media know that much about Death-Eater doings in the British military and intelligence", he concluded, "I am surprised that the Ministry and Magical Law Enforcement haven't fine-tuned your missions beyond snooping through Commons, Disillusioned, after business hours. Can you guess, Miss Tonks, what my next mistake was?"

"Heh", Tonks made a show of glancing at the ceiling with two fingers covering her lips, as if formulating a wild guess at something. "Who here got your first owl?" she ventured after a moment.

Snape pointed across at Draco. "Well-guessed, Miss Tonks. His post is exactly where I figured I should direct a general query about this news story, he being sort of in the middle of our Law Enforcement infrastructure. Our friend the Minister is in charge of the big-picture perspective; and Ms. Sheehy at your office would be fixated on such things as details of flyover grids." The Potions Master sucked in his breath and glanced around the table once more, clearly disappointed that no-one had thought to conjure firewhisky for the occasion. "I asked Draco to please do as detailed a check on this intelligence as he could find, if he could tear himself away from his beloved mate and his cauldrons for a moment or two. I also owled Remus, and sent a long-distance disguised post to Mr. Nott over in America. Happily, however, I decided not to disappoint Harry and Gilliam in cutting our holiday short. We were all desperately in need of a getaway." He turned his head toward his werewolf ex-lover. "Remus, I believe it's your turn at the podium now..."

Tonks let her gaze move slowly around the table from one face to another, and sat back in a more or less relaxed fashion. Now that the sneak attackers had revealed themselves, she knew she was fully among friends--some better ones than others, perhaps. But when her eyes moved once, twice, three times toward one face in particular, something deep and painful jabbed her guts. She winced and shuddered, and suddenly a deep sadness began to surface and dampened her mood--a feeling she'd thought was more or less dead and buried.

"Right, then", Remus assented. "In any case, our point in interrupting your fact-finding activities, ladies and gentlemen, is simply to advise that such investigations over at Thames House and Whitehall would probably be a better use of your time and energy." He was also looking around as if he would be happier in a pub right now. "However, you might want to bag all that for tonight, and owl Tarrah for warrants to check out our Muggle intelligence agencies and armed services. Not to mention the MagiVid wire services. I'm also puzzled as to why the Magical media seems to know more than the Ministry about Death-Eater schemes in the Middle East."

The Aurors looked around at each other. "Well...okay", Hestia assented. "Whitehall and the MI5 sound like a huge lot to start on at this time of night. We've already got rooms at the Leaky Cauldron to crash in, so I suppose we should head back there and owl reports back north of what we've learned on this search."

"And we need to thank you lot", Corvus broke in, "For upsetting the table a tad. You made a rather disturbing entrance, but no one got hurt, at least."

"But for fuck's sake, Remus, kindly don't do that again, unless you're being followed", Tonks implored her old friend. "I'm better than I look at wandless hexes."

As the Aurors gathered up their brooms and other gear to exit the old structure, Tonks ventured another glance across the room at one of their companions. There was that jabbing sensation in her chest, making her wince again.

Snape met Tonks' eyes as the others were filing out of the room and Disillusioning themselves. "Miss Tonks...", he beckoned her to stay behind inside the conference chamber.

"Oh...right." Tonks' heard made a sudden jump, even as the sadness overcoming her was still surfacing rapidly despite her best efforts to beat it down.

The black-robed man took Tonks' arm and seated himself in the nearest available chair. "Miss Tonks, since I haven't seen you in an extended period of time, I thought it might be advisable to check in with you on the state of your health while we're both here." He looked her hard in the eyes as if doing iridology diagnostics. "You haven't come back to me about the psychic scar you'd complained of in our interview some months ago. Surely that tiny vial has run out long before this. Has the scar quite healed by now?"

"Umm...just about", Tonks replied with a sheepish grin. "Once in a while, I feel a twinge or two, but it's not something I notice too much. It's definitely a lot smaller and less painful than it used to be..."

Snape's expression grew a trifle sharper. "Miss Tonks", he intoned, "If the pain hasn't completely vanished by now, you ought to have come back to me for more balancing tincture as soon as the first supply ran out. You at least ought to know better than to let these things fester inside you before they're completely healed. And if you're still feeling 'a twinge or two' after all this time, it's clearly not out of the way." He sighed and shook his head dismissively. "I can prepare another vial for you within three days' time. Will you be back in the Ministry Wing by the end of this week?"

"Yes, I think so", said Tonks.

"Very well. Kindly come down to my laboratory in the Dungeons as soon as work lets out for the evening, and the tincture should be ready by then."

"Erm...by the way, Professor--", Tonks began, feeling a bit awkward, for some reason, about putting personal questions to the Potions Master. He, however, merely turned a questioning glance and upturned eyebrow back in her direction.

"Well...I just wanted to ask how Harry and Gilliam are doing right now", she finally managed.

"Well", Snape replied, "Not too bad for a young man who'd had his memory wiped out, and a boy who thought his father would never be the same again. Harry's memories are being re-fed to his consciousness through the memories of his friends, ritualistically, using pensieves and some very experimental spells." He was not completely at ease explaining this to the young Auror, but she was, after all, a friend of both Harry and Gilliam. "And now that you mention it, Miss Tonks, you've known Harry since he was in fifth year; you might be able to provide a few memories that the rest of us haven't yet been able to dredge up. As bizarre as it might sound, we are in fact in the process of piecing Harry's life back together in his own consciousness; and you might be able to help, both with memories and even perhaps shamanic magic and songspells."